Panelized furnace roof



April 2, 1968 F. P. MERKLE, JR

PANELIZED FURNACE ROOF 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1965 IN VEN TOR Frank PMerkle ,Jr'

m 2, 1968 F. p. MERKLE, JR 3,375,795

PANELI ZED FURNACE ROOF Filed June 11, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 85 FIGS Y a INVENTOK r; fiankRMerkle,./n

April 2, 1968 F. P. MERKLE, JR 3,

PANELIZED FURNACE ROOF Filed June 11, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 f i if T.

FIG. 6 FIG. 7

l N VE N TOR Frank P/Vlcrkk ,JF.

United States Patent 3,375,795 PANELIZED FURNACE ROOF Frank P. Merkle, Jr., Chicago, Ill., assignor to M. H. Detrick Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,081 9 Claims. (Cl. 110--99) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE tively large number of bricks to be installed and re moved at once by vertical manipulation of an entire roof panel, and a smaller number of bricks by vertical manipulation of the bricks of the cluster. The invention provides important labor-savings by the brick manufacturer, the shipper, and the ultimate user in connection both with original installation and repair.

This invention relates to a furnace roof, and more particularly to a furnace roof made up of comparatively large roof panels. Each panel, in turn, includes preassembled clusters of individualy suspended refractory bricks.

Generally speaking, prior furnace roofs utilizing individualy suspended refractory bricks have been inordinately expensive, due largely to the considerable labor involved in installing the roof originally, and in making repairs to the roof during furnace operation. As is well known, furnace roofs often are repaired during furnace operation in order to avoid the increased expense that would result if the furnace were shut down and removed from operation during repair periods.

Further, the refractory bricks used in prior furnace roofs of the suspended type have required handling by the brick manufacturer and the customer more or less on the individual brick basis. Thus, labor is involved at the plant of the manufacturer to load the bricks on pallets for shipment to the customer. The bricks usually are stored on these pallets at the plant of the customer until needed.

When the time comes to install a new roof or make repairs in an existing roof, the loaded pallets are transported to the job site where the bricks are handled individually and inserted in the roof structure on a one or a two at a time basis.

In repairing a roof when the furnace is in operation, it has been customary to use at least two workmen at each repair station. These workmen cooperate with each other in removing deteriorated brick one or two at a time and replacing them with new brick on the same basis. Due to the high temperatures present, the workmen require relief every five or ten minutes, thereby making it necessary to have a second team of two workers available if the work is to be completed in the shortest possible time. The usual foreman increases the labor force to five, and there necessarily are one or two workmen at ground level handling the old and new bricks.

One object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a panelized furnace roof made up of integrated components which'can be handled by manufacturer and customer, installed, removed and repaired with great savings of labor.

Another object is to provide a panelized furnace roof wherein the refractory bricks are individually suspended and, at the same time, arranged in groups or clusters. These clusters, including the metallic hangers that suspend the brick, the associated hanger supports and in some cases the panel frames, are assembled at the plant of the brick manufacturer. As will be seen, the size of each brick cluster is such that a number of clusters makes maximum utilization of the conventional handling equipment (pallets, fork lift trucks, etc.) possessed by the brick manufacturer, the transportation agency and the ultimate customer. Thus, a maximum quantity of brick is able to be handled by a minimum amount of labor and without special equipment.

Still another object is to provide a panelized furnace roof wherein the refractory bricks may be installed, removed and replaced in various quantity, depending on the requirements of a particular job. Thus, by way of example, bricks may be installed, removed and replaced in groups of two, clusters of twenty, or panels of two-hundred and sixty. This feature, of course, serves to minimize the required labor, as well as to insure completion of a job in minimum time.

Other objects, advantages and details of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It is to be understood that the description and drawings are illustrative only, and that the scope of the invention .is to be measured by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a furnace roof embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of the furnace roof shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG- 4 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the panels of refractory brick used in the invention, certain parts removed for clarity.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, partly broken away, on line 5-5 of FIG. 4, showing details of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 66 of FIG. 5. i

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 77 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a typical cluster of refractory brick used in the invention, the illustrated cluster having twenty bricks.

FIG. 9 is an end elevational viewof the brick cluster shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the cluster of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a modified furnace roof embodying the invention.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 12-12 of FIG. 11. t g

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. {1-3 show portions of an exemplary furnace roof embodying the invention. The illustrated roof may be either a new installation or a remodeled old installation, inasmuch as certain components are more or less conventional, thus indicating that the invention is suitable foruse in either new or old furnaces.

A roof embodying the invention includes laterally spaced parallel pairs of primary girders 15 which, by way of example, may be 36 inch I-beams located on 12 foot centers. Girders 15 extend transversely of the furnace roof, and are supported at their ends by suitable columns or support means 16 (FIG. 1). Girders 15 and support means 16 are two components of the illustrated roof likely to be found in existing installations. Only one pair of primary girders and associated support means 16 are shown, but it will be understood that in the usual installation there will be a number of such primary girders and support means.

The invention also includes a plurality of laterally spaced parallel secondary girders 20, here shown as I- beams, that extend transversely between primary girders 15 and longitudinally of the furnace roof. End portions 21 (FIG. 3) of secondary girders 20, as shown, rest on upper surfaces or flanges 22 of primary girders 15. As will be seen, a secondary girder and the parts associated therewith, presently to be described, are such that they may be installed, removed and replaced as a unit by means of a crane or other hoisting device.

Each secondary girder 20 is provided with some means for attaching chains or the like from a hoisting device. In the form of the invention shown, end portions 21 of a secondary girder 20 have hook-receiving openings 23, and it will be noted that the adjacent upper flanges of the girder are cut away as shown at 24.

Suitable means are provided for centering secondary girders 20 transversely with respect to the space between a pair of primary girders 15, and, as shown in FIG. 3, such means may take the form of angle irons 25 welded on the lower flanges of girder 20 near the ends. Alternatively, similar flanges could be welded centrally on the upper surfaces of primary girders 15. Such flanges, of course, aid in properly positioning girders 20 and insure that they will be retained in desired position.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, each secondary girder 20 is provided with a plurality of spaced pairs of downwardly extending supporting rods 30. Four such pairs are shown in the illustrated form of the invention. The upper ends of rod are secured to a secondary girder 20 in suitable manner, and, as shown, they extend through openings in the lower flange of the girder. The rod ends are threaded at 31 and provided with holding nuts 32, making rods '30 easy to install, remove and replace. As shown in FIG. 2, the rods 30 of each pair diverge in downwardly direction.

A rectangular frame 35, best shown in detail in FIGS. 47, is carried in a horizontal plane by the lower ends of supporting rods 30. The length of frame 35 is slightly less than the length of a secondary girder 20, as shown in FIG. 3, and the width of the frame is related to the length of the brick clusters that will be described later.

In the form of the invention shown, rectangular frame 35 advantageously is made up of four angle irons suitably welded or otherwise secured together at the corners. Thus, angle irons 36 and 37 constitute the longer sides of the frame, and angle irons 38 and 39 constitute the shorter sides. One flange of each angle iron 36-39 preferably is lowermost with the other flanges of the angle irons defining the frame periphery. The advantage of this arrangement will be mentioned presently.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the longer angle irons 36 and 37 are provided at spaced intervals with pairs of closely spaced plates 40 and 41 welded at right angles to the flanges. Corresponding plates on the two angle irons are located in transverse alignment, and they serve to anchor to frame 35 the lower ends of the pairs of downwardly extending supporting rods 30. As shown in 'FIGS. 5 and 6, a plate 42, welded or otherwise secured to the lower end of each supporting rod 30, is dispose-d between plates 40 and 41 on the angle irons. A bolt 43 extends through aligned holes in the three plates, and a nut 44 secures the bolt in position. Other arrangements for attaching rods 30 to frame 35 are, of course, possible.

A plurality of laterally spaced parallel elongated members 50, here shown as pipes, are carried by and extend transversely of frame 35. End portions 51 of members (FIGS. 4 and 7) rest loosely on lowermost flanges of the longer frame angle irons 36 and 37 and are limited in endwise movement by the peripheral flanges of the angle irons. Members 50, as will be seen, support clusters of refractory brick that will be described later.

A pair of spaced members 55 (FIGS. 2-5), here shown as angle irons, extend transversely of and are secured to frame 35 as by welding. Members 55 are so located in frame 35 that they will be positioned between pairs of elongated members 50, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Vertical members 56, here also shown as angle irons, are secured detachably as by bolts 57 (FIG. 5) to transverse members 55 near the ends thereof when frame 35 is assembled with the brick clusters next to be described. Vertical members 56, as will be seen, serve as spacer members to maintain frame 35 in assembled relation with the brick clusters.

One of the several preassembled brick clusters 60 used in the invention is shown in detail in FIGS. 8-10. As mentioned, brick clusters 60 desirably are fabricated by the brick manufacturer and shipped to the customer in reassembled form.

The illustrated cluster 60 comprises two side-by-side rows 61 and 62 of refractory bricks 65 having an even number of bricks in each row. Each pair of adjacent bricks in each row is supported by an elongated metallic hanger member that has a lower end 71 of inverted T-shape and a hook 72 at the upper end. The intermediate portion 73 between lower end 71 and hook 72 may be rod-like.

Each pair of adjacent bricks in a row, in the illustrated form of the invention, has more or less conventional opposing horizontal recesses 75 and 76 (-FIG. 8) spaced from the upper brick ends, and opposing vertical recesses 77 and 78 connecting the horizontal recesses with the upper brick ends. The inverted T-shaped lower end 71 of a hanger member 70 is received Within the recesses, as shown in FIG. 8, and serves to support the two bricks of a pair. Other arrangements for supporting the bricks from hooked hangers are possible, of course, and are within the scope of the invention.

The illustrated cluster 60 has two rows of ten bricks each, with five hanger members 70 in each row. It has been found that this is a convenient size for a cluster, but obviously the advantages of the invention are not based on this precise size.

Corresponding pairs of bricks 65 in the two rows 61 and 62 are in lateral alignment. Similarly, the hanger members 70 of these two pairs also will be in general alignment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. The hanger members 70 of each pair converge upwardly toward each other as shown in FIG. 9, with hooks 72 thereof in general alignment.

A band of flexible material 80 (enlarged on drawing for clarity), such as steel strapping, tightly encircles the bricks, and maintains the bricks and hangers of a cluster in assembled relation. Flexible material 80, incidentally, may remain on the cluster after the latter is installed in a furnace roof. Eventually, of course, material 80 burns away.

A standard transport and storage pallet of the size customarily used by brick manufacturers and customers readily accommodates five brick clusters 60 of the size and shape shown. Loaded pallets of such size are handled conveniently by a conventional fork lift truck, and easily may be loaded for shipment on the top of a shipment of wall and hearth brick going to the same customer. This economical shipping technique is applicable when the brick clusters are intended for a new furnace installation which also requires quantities of brick for other parts of the furnace.

When quantities of brick clusters 60 are shipped in the absence of other brick, as is often the case for repair purposes, they advantageously are positioned on pallets on edge in opposing relation with other brick clusters, whereby the hanger members 70 of opposing clusters interfit.

Brick clusters 60 ordinarily are assembled in frame'35 at the job site. The frame 35 shown in FIG. 3 is of such size as to accommodate thirteen clusters 60. If an entire panel comprising a frame and thirteen clusters is to be assembled, as in the case of a new installation or a major repair, the thirteen new clusters 60 are arranged side-byside on the floor adjacent the furnace. A secondary girder 20, including supporting rods 30 and frame 35, is lowered by means fo a crane or other hoisting device, the frame positioned in alignment with and slightly above the brick clusters. An elongated member is threaded through books 72 of hanger members 70 of each cluster, and positioned on the lowermost frame flanges. Thereafter, girder 20 is lifted and placed in proper position in the furnace roof, the end portions 21 of secondary girder 20 resting on the upper surfaces of spaced primary girders 15, as shown in FIG. 3.

When a frame 35 is assembled with clusters and not immediately installed in a roof, the previously mentioned vertical spacer members 56 are secured to transverse frame members 55. The lower ends of the vertical members engage some of the bricks in clusters 60 and support frame 35 above the clusters.

Still referring to FIG. 3, corrugated metal plates 85, or other joint members permitting brick expansion, are positioned between some of the adjacent brick clusters. Four such expansion plates or members are shown in the illustrated panel.

In view of minor dimensional irregularitie in the bricks, it is desirable that elongated pipe members 50 do not have definitely fixed positions longitudinally of frame 35. Adequate positioning of members 50 in frame 35 is afforded by the limited clearance which exists between hooks 72 on hanger members of the end brick clusters and angle irons 38 and 39 at the ends of frame 35, as shown at at the right in FIG. 3.

Expected expansion at the longer sides of a panel is compensated for by the use of members (FIG. 2) which may take the form of wood strips. These strips, of course, burn away during furnace operation, and permit longitudinal expansion of the brick clusters.

Referring again to FIG. 3, it will be remembered that the length of a panel must be somewhat shorter than the spacing between primary girders 15 so that the panel may be lowe ed and lifted vertically between the girders. Thus, the furnace roof portion directly below primary girders 15 may not be supported by secondary girders 20 and associated frames 35.

This portion of the furnace roof, as shown only in FIG. 3, includes girder portions (at left) and 101 (at right) secured to the lower surfaces of primary girders 15. Spaced pairs of supporting rods 102 extend downwardly from girders 100 and 101, and hooks 103 at the lower ends of the rods serve to support elongated members 104 that in turn support brick clusters 60. These clusters 60, or the bricks therein, are manipulated individually during installation and repair.

The illustrated primary girders 15 and secondary girders 20 are representative of supporting structure in new and existing suspended furnace roofs, and are intended to be exemplary. It is apparent that other specific arrangements of primary and secondary girders are possible.

The modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrates another specific arrangement of primary and secondary girders, as well as variation in the relationship between the rectangular frames and the associated brick clusters that constitute the roof panels. This form shows the extreme flexibility of the invention and the changes that easily may be made to utilize the illustrated existing primary and secondary girders in a roof embodying the invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, laterally spaced primary girders extend transversely of the furnace in the manner of the previously described girders 15. Laterally spaced secondary girders extend longitudinally of the furnace betwen primary girders 110. These secondary girders 115, in accordance withthe existing arrangement, rest on the lower flanges of primary girders 110 and thus, due to the top flanges above, may not be removed easily. In contrast, secondary girders 20 of the form first described rest on the top flanges of the primary girders, and are easily removable.

Each roof panel, as in the previous form, includes a rectangular frame preferably constructed with angle iron members having one flange lowermost and the other flange on the frame periphery. These frames 120 rest loosely on secondary girders 115, and each may be lifted out of the furnace roof when it is desired to remove and replace a complete panel. Opposed frame members may have suitable means, such as apertures 121, for engagement by hooks on hoisting chains when a panel is to be manipulated.

In the panels shown, laterally spaced tertiary girders 122 extend longitudinally of frames 120 and rest loosely on the lower flanges of opposed frame members. A tertiary girder 122, as will be seen, may be removed individually from the panel when it is desired to make repairs in the group of bricks supported by such girder.

Each tertiary girder 122 carries two .or more downwardly extending supporting rods 123. A rod 123 has a hook 124 at its upper end which is received within an opening 125 (FIG. 12) in the tertiary girder. As shown, girder 122 is' an I-beam, and openings 125 are located in the beam web.

The lower end of a supporting rod 123 has a hook 127, as best shown in FIG. 11. The lower hooks 127 of the two or more supporting rods 123 associated with a tertiary girder 122 detachably carry an elongated member 130'. Elongated members 130 may be pipes of the same character as elongated pipe members 50 used in the first form of the invention.

Each elongated member 130 carries a plurality of bricks in cluster assembly. The brick clusters may be the same as the brick clusters previously described, or they may have modified form as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

The exemplary brick arrangement shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 may constitute a single brick cluster of four bricks in width and ten bricks in length, or two brick clusters each two bricks in width and ten bricks in length. The flexible bands or the like which encircle the brick clusters and hold the bricks in assembled relation are omitted in FIGS. 11 and 12, but it is understood that a holding band will be used with each brick cluster.

Bricks 135 are suspended from elongated members 130 by hanger members 136 which, in the form shown, have lower ends that supportingly engage the bricks and upper ends that detachably hook onto members 130.

When the brick clusters are preassembled with elongated members 130, spacer members such as struts 140 (FIG. 12) and associated wedges 141 extend in combination between elongated members 130 and some of the bricks 135. Such spacer members are effective to maintain fixed relation between an elongated member and associated bricks prior to mounting the cluster in a roof panel.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, bricks requiring may be removed and replaced on a one or two at a time basis, on'a twenty or forty at a time basis (depending on the size of the clusters used) or on the basis of a complete panel, that is, the number of bricks carried by a removable rectangular frame.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Various changes in detail may be made without departing from the spirit or losing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A panelized furnace roof comprising:

a laterally spaced parallel pair of fixed primary girda plurality of roof panels detachably carried by said primary girders, each roof panel including,

a rectangular frame;

a plurality of laterally spaced parallel elongated members detachably carried by said rectangular frame; and

a preassembled cluster of individually supported re frac-tory bricks suspended from each elongated member, said cluster including flexible band means tightly encircling said bricks,

the size of each roof panel such that the entire panel is movable vertically into and out of the furnace roof without interference by said primary girders;

whereby a comparatively large number of bricks may be installed and removed at once by vertical manipulation of an entire roof panel, and a smaller number of bricks may be installed and removed at once by vertical manipulation of the bricks of a cluster.

2. The combination of claim 1 with the addition of laterally spaced parallel secondary girders extending transversely between and resting on said primary girders, said rectangular frames carried by said secondary girders.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein each rectangular frame is formed of angle irons positioned with one flange of each lowermost and the other flanges defining the frame periphery.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein end portions of said elongated members rest loosely on lowermost flanges of said rectangular frames and are limited in end- Wise movement by peripheral flanges of said frames.

5. The combination of claim 2 with the addition of downwardly extending supporting rods carried by each secondary girder, the lower ends of said supporting rods connected to one of said rectangular frames.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said secondary girders each have flange portions, and wherein the upper ends of said supporting rods extend through openings in said flange portions, said upper ends threaded and having retaining nuts thereon.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein each preassembled cluster of refractory bricks comprises side-byside rows of bricks and means individually supporting said bricks.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein each preassembled cluster of refractory bricks comprises side-byside rows of bricks and a plurality of metallic hanger members each supportingly engaging at least one brick, the upper end of each hanger member having a hook detachably engaging one of said detachable elongated members.

9. The combination of claim 2 wherein said rectangular frames rest on said secondary girders, with the addition of spaced parallel tertiary girders extending lengthwise of said frames, end portions of said tertiary girders resting loosely on said frames, and downwardly extending supporting rods, the upper ends of said supporting rods connected to said tertiary girders and the lower ends of said supporting rods connected to said cluster-carrying elongated members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,677,002 7/1928 Olson et al. -99 2,158,759 5/1939 Morlock 110-99 2,699,741 1/1955 Bowman 110-99 2,720,850 10/1955 Lanyon 110-99 2,982,237 5/1961 Copeland et al 110-99 3,129,678 4/1964 Murray 110-99 3,198,148 18/1965 Hall 110-99 FOREIGN PATENTS 181,284 3/1955 Austria.

537,371 2/1957 Canada. 1,348,731 12/1963 France.

900,175 7/1962 Great Britain.

987,408 3/1965 Great Britain.

FREDERICK KETTERER, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT DUA, Examiner. 

